When I first moved to Squamish and started to get to know the community better, I was a little awed and amazed by the incredible spirit of volunteerism that kept everything going.
From sporting and kids events to dances and fundraisers, volunteers were the bread and butter of the town. I’d lived all over the world, and yet had never experienced a place where there was so much going on, thanks in large part to this vibrant cadre of people donating their valuable time.
But something has changed over the past decade or so. I’ve begun to notice fewer events than in previous years, and I’ve also been told that fewer people are volunteering to help out. One older lady I spoke with several weeks ago told me she was a long-time resident, and she’s definitely seeing a change. She said that in the past, there were always more than enough people willing to pitch in to help organize and run all the various events in town, but since Squamish started to become a “bedroom community” for Whistler and Vancouver folk, fewer of the newer, younger generation of Squamites are coming forward, apparently. “The younger families and people moving here seem to want to enjoy all the things in Squamish, but they don’t want to volunteer their time to help keep these things going,” she told me with sadness in the grocery line.
The Eagle Watch is one such Squamish program that is in need of an injection of volunteers. Currently celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the Eagle Watch sees volunteers guiding and educating visitors about our renowned wintering bald eagles. But they do more than just give information about safe eagle viewing practices. These folks end up being frontline ambassadors for all of Squamish. And these long-time volunteers are aging (although still vibrant). New blood is needed if the program is going to continue into the future.
This Saturday (Oct. 31) at 10 a.m., the Eagle Watch kicks off its 20th season at the Brackendale Eagle Run Dike.
If you love living in Squamish but haven’t yet found time to volunteer, the Eagle Watch program is an ideal – and pretty fun and painless – way to start giving back to your community.
I’ll be there, awed and amazed as usual by the spirit of volunteerism, hopefully adding my own name and spare time to the program.
Maybe I’ll see you there.
